About:

It's my hope to post entries here about my life and experiences as a trans-woman who also happens to have bipolar disorder. This is my way of making my voice be heard, and bringing attention to the issues that myself and others like me, face every day.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Not One Step Back!

So I haven't exactly kept up too well with this, but I guess I'll do the best I can to keep posting, even if it is a bit infrequent. This time is because my message is about as important and urgent as it can be. As I'm sure most people who don't watch the state sponsored media known as Fox know, we have the death star of health care bills being jammed through the Senate right now. I won't even give it the dignity of calling it a health care bill from here on, because it doesn't do a single thing to actually improve healthcare in the U.S., hence my title of death star bill.
This is a bill that seeks to improve healthcare by gutting and more or less destroying Medicaid, a program that somewhere around 75 million low income, disabled, and elderly Americans rely on to cover the costs of their health care. It destroys planned parenthood, and is estimated to kick about 22 million people off their insurance over ten years. It also would let states decide if things like pre-existing conditions, yearly and lifetime caps will be acceptable. Oh, and it also will give lower premiums and better plans to those who are younger and healthier, and jack up rates by up to five times for those who are older and sicker. You tell me where in any of that does this improve anything, because I fail to see it. On top of that, all the money they save from gutting these programs and watching hundreds of thousands of people die will be used to give the richest people in the country tax breaks.
This is hands down the biggest, most evil piece of shit that republicans have ever tried to push through congress, and it makes me want to puke just thinking about the repercussions of this shitburger passing. This bill is nothing less than the opening broadside in class warfare. It is the rich telling the poor and middle class that they don't matter, and that they should shut up and suffer quietly as they toil away for the betterment of the wealthy. Republicans can't even defend this bill because it is so unbelievably cruel, so they go on tv and blatantly lie about it, and write it up in secrecy.
No one is safe from this monstrocity, not unless you're worth a few hundred million or more. This bill effectively puts a literal price tag on you. It says that even though you're dying of cancer, it's a pre-existing condition, so sorry, we can't cover your treatment, hope you understand. It says that even though grandma has been a devout republican all her life, and voted for Trump, she's just too sick to not jack her rates up 500%, hope you understand that as well. Please understand that no matter who you voted for, this will affect you, and it will hurt you if you ever plan on getting old, or being sick. This is what republicans in congress, who probably represent at least a few of you who will read this, think the future of healthcare should be. They believe that the federal government has no business being involved in healthcare, but they won't come out and run on that because it is a totally bullshit position that very few members of their base even would support. They know this bill is terrible and will hurt people, but they don't care, all they want is a win for themselves.
If you're ok with all of that, then I doubt I can change your mind, and I won't try to. If like me, you see this as an outright assault on you and your right to good, affordable healthcare, then please do anything and everything that you can to show your displeasure and sway the votes to strike this down. Go out and protest, organize one if there isn't one. Call your representatives and senators, if they're republicans, express your disgust with this bill and urge them to not support it, politely of course. If they're democrates call them and urge them to do everything possible to delay and gum up the works for this thing. If you can, run for office, be it the state legislature, school board, or congress. The fight starts from the bottom up, no office, no matter how small, should go to those who would use their power to hurt others. Above all else, and most importantly, register to vote, and vote in every single election no matter how small. We have to be active participants in our democracy, that is the only way that it will function effectively.
I can't emphasize enough how important this is. There is so much more riding on this than just saving lives, we have to save our democracy from oppression at the hands of tyrants. Class warfare is not the end of this, it's only the beginning of the gradual erosion of our democratic systems and of our republic. If this passes people will die because they can't get the vital treatments they need, maybe it will be you, maybe it will be me, and maybe not, but it is inevitable that people will die. Call me paranoid, but it sounds like our government is out to get us, and that it does have the worst intentions in mind. If there were ever a reason to leave the country, this is a far better reason than Trump.
My only goal in writing this is to inspire action, action that will hopefully save this country as we know it. This is going to be hard, and it's going to be an uphill battle as long as republicans control the House and the Senate. They have billions of dollars of support behind them and backers that will stop at nothing to establish a new order in this country; A new order that will amount to modern day feudalism. This will not be an easy fight, and we will lose some battles along the way, but we the working class, the heart of what makes this country great, are many, and the despots who seek to rule over us are far fewer in numbers. We are mighty, and we must resist. We must push back against the tide of oppression and take back our institutions and our democracy, not just for ourselves, but for the sake of posterity. We must fight to leave behind a better nation for future generations. "Not one step back" should be our motto for not just 2018, but from this moment forward. If even a single person loses healthcare coverage because of this, it is too many. The vote may have been delayed, but the fight is not over by a long shot.
We need to be in crisis mode right now, because this is the biggest crisis that our nation has faced in 70 years, if not ever. The worst part is it comes from within, and that is what makes it all the more dangerous. This is the type of stuff that has historically brought down empires, and if we do not recognise this, and fight to prevent it, we are set to follow the same path as the Roman empire. Mind you, that is my opinion, but I'd call it an educated opinion. The bottom line is get active, talk about politics even with people who don't agree with you, because inaction is what got us where we are now. I couldn't tell you who said it, but I am reminded of the quote, "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing". Evil has triumphed, and it up to us, the people, to save our country from it. It is up to we the people to build the America of the future.

About Me

My name is Sage, and I'm just a young trans-woman trying to get by in this world. I started this blog to write about my life and what goes on in it, and to talk about whatever I feel applies to it at times. Keep reading if it interests you. I plan to update as frequently as possible. If you send me friend requests on any of my sites, please send a message and mention my blog in it so I don't accidentally ignore it.

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